Dear God,

Now that I am no longer young, I havefriends whose mothers have passed away. I have heard these sons and daughterssay they never fully appreciated their mothers until it was too late to tellthem.

如今我不再年轻，一些朋友的母亲已经去世。我曾听这些子女们说过，他们从没有向母亲充分表达过他们的感激之情，而待到要告诉时为时已晚了。

I am blessed with the dear mother who isstill alive. I appreciate her more each day. My mother does not change, but Ido. As I grow older and wiser, I realize what an extraordinary person she is.How sad that I am unable to speak these words in her presence, but they floweasily from my pen.

幸运的是，我亲爱的母亲依然健在。我对她的感情与日俱增。母亲没有变，而我却变了。随着年岁的增长，我越来越懂事了，我认识道她是个非常了不起的人。这些话在她面前我难以启齿，但在笔下却可以轻易地写出来，这令我感到多么难过。

How does a daughter begin to thank hermother for life itself? For the love, patience and just plain hard work that gointo raising a child? For running after a toddler, for understanding a moodyteenager, for tolerating a college student who knows everything? For waitingfor the day when a daughter realizes her mother really is?

一个女儿该怎样开口感谢她的母亲所给予的生命？感谢她在抚养孩子时所付出的爱、耐心以及无私的辛勤劳动？感谢她跟在蹒跚学步的孩子身后奔跑，对情绪不定的少女的理解，以及对一个自以为是的大学生的宽容？感谢她等待女儿认识到她真实一位好母亲的这一天？

How does a grown woman thank for a motherfor continuing to be a mother? For being ready with advice (when asked) orremaining silent when it is most appreciated? For not saying:”I told you so”, when she could have utteredthese words dozens of times? For being essentially herself — loving, thoughtful, patient, and forgiving?

一个成年女子该怎样感谢母亲依然如故的角色？感谢在被问到时她会及时提供良言，而在不需要时她会保持沉默？感谢她没有说：“我告诉过你，”而她本来可以说上许多次？感谢她始终不变的爱心、体贴周到、耐心与宽容厚道？

I don’t know how,dear God, except to bless her as richly as she deserves and to help me live upto the example she has set. I pray that I will look as good in the eyes of mychildren as my mother looks in mine.

我不知道该怎样来表达，亲爱的上帝，除了请求你好好地保佑她——那时她该得到的——并帮助我朝她作出的榜样看齐。我祈愿在孩子的眼里我会如同母亲在我眼里一般好。

A daughter

一个女儿